Ornithological Observations
http://oo.adu.org.za
An electronic journal published by the Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town
Ornithological Observations accepts papers containing faunistic information about birds. This includes descriptions of distri breeding, foraging, food, movement, measurements, habitat and plumage. It will
relevant ornithological material: reports of projects and conferences, annotated checklists for a site or region, specialist other interesting or relevant material.
Editor: Arnold van der Westhuizen
CHORISTER ROBIN-CHAT COSSYPHA DICHROA
Craig T Symes, TheresaRecommended citation format:
Symes CT, Rees T, Nelson K 2015. Chorister Robin-Chat Cossypha dichroa URL:
- ISSN 2219-0341 -
Ornithological Observations
http://oo.adu.org.za
the Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town and BirdLife South Africa
Ornithological Observations accepts papers containing faunistic information about birds. This includes descriptions of distri
breeding, foraging, food, movement, measurements, habitat and plumage. It will also consider for publication a variety of other interesting or relevant ornithological material: reports of projects and conferences, annotated checklists for a site or region, specialist bibliographies, and any
itor: Arnold van der Westhuizen
COSSYPHA DICHROA GLEANING ON BUSHBUCK TRAGELAPHUS SCRIPTUS Craig T Symes, Theresa Rees and Karin Nelson
Cossypha dichroa gleaning on Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus. Ornithological Observations
URL: http://oo.adu.org.za/content.php?id=174 Published online: 07 March 2015
BirdLife South Africa
Ornithological Observations accepts papers containing faunistic information about birds. This includes descriptions of distribution, behaviour, also consider for publication a variety of other interesting or bibliographies, and any
TRAGELAPHUS SCRIPTUS
Ornithological Observations, Vol 6: 44-45
Ornithological Observations, Vol 6: 44-45
CHORISTER ROBIN-CHAT COSSYPHA DICHROA GLEANING ON BUSHBUCK TRAGELAPHUS
SCRIPTUS
Craig T Symes*1, Theresa Rees2 and Karin Nelson
1 School of Animal, Plant & Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa
2 40 Budleigh Road, Hilton, South Africa
3 12 Sakabula Drive, Merrivale, Howick 3291, South Africa
* Corresponding author: [email protected]
A review of African birds feeding in association with mammals Dean and MacDonald (1981), comprehensively document
of mammal and bird-feeding interactions. They report on the association of Brown Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas signata,
Robin-Chat Cossypha natalensis, and Chorister Robin dichroa feeding on insects flushed by foraging mole-rats
spp. in KwaZulu-Natal (Oatley 1970), and the association of Red capped Robin-Chat with Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus,
Cephalophus monticola, and cattle in forest (Oatley 1970) Oatley recorded, "In the Natal midlands forest I once
Chorister Robin picking ticks from a Bushbuck ram" (Oatley 1959), while in Hluhluwe Game Reserve, "the Chorister Robin has been observed gleaning ectoparasites from the mane of a Nyala
Dean and MacDonald 1981). In addition, Skead (1997, p.
notes; "Mr LG Bagshawe-Smith (pers. comm. 1978), watched one pick ticks off a Bushbuck ewe", and Vernon and Dean (1988) report on a Chorister Robin-Chat that hover-gleaned a tick from the tail of a cow on 1 August 1986 at Kambi Forest near Umtata in the
Transkei.
- ISSN 2219-0341 -
COSSYPHA DICHROA TRAGELAPHUS
and Karin Nelson3 Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa
South Africa [email protected]
A review of African birds feeding in association with mammals, by documents a number They report on the Cercotrichas signata, Red-capped Robin-Chat C.
rats Cryptomys , and the association of Red- Tragelaphus scriptus, Blue Duiker and cattle in forest (Oatley 1970). Terry I once watched a (Oatley 1959), Chorister Robin has been observed gleaning ectoparasites from the mane of a Nyala" (IAWM in Skead (1997, p. 1159) omm. 1978), watched one Dean (1988) report gleaned a tick from the tail of a cow on 1 August 1986 at Kambi Forest near Umtata in the former
Fig 1 - Screen-shots of the film footage of a Chorister Robi
Bushbuck. See footage on YouTube at http://youtu.be/D87WA5zb (Uploaded 4 November 2014)
In this note we report on two additional observations of between Chorister Robin-Chat and Bushbuck.
1. On Friday, 15 March 2013, at 05:38, a video using a camera trap at Winterskloof, Hilton, 10
Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, in a section of mistbelt forest.
15 second snippet records a Chorister Robin-Chat flying directly onto the forehead of a female Bushbuck. It perches there for approximately 3 seconds, where it probes the right ear twice. The Bushbuck nods its head and the Robin-Chat hops onto the shoulders of the Bushbuck, where it perches for approximately 7 seconds the Bushbuck seems unperturbed. In the last section of the clip (where the recording is cut short) it appears as if the
again flies onto the head of the Bushbuck (Fig 1)
2. On 19 July 2014, at Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve, in Howick 44
shots of the film footage of a Chorister Robin-Chat visiting a http://youtu.be/D87WA5zb-9A
).
observations of interactions
a video recording was made rap at Winterskloof, Hilton, 10 km north of a section of mistbelt forest. The Chat flying directly onto ushbuck. It perches there for approximately 3 seconds, where it probes the right ear twice. The hat hops onto the shoulders ushbuck, where it perches for approximately 7 seconds; here . In the last section of the clip it appears as if the Robin-Chat
1).
July 2014, at Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve, in Howick
Ornithological Observations, Vol 6: 44-45
near Pietermaritzburg, Mike Spain was conducting a bird walk and encountered a Bushbuck with a Chorister Robin-Chat perched on it back (K Nelson pers. comm. with M Spain, 2014). The bird did not glean from the Bushbuck but rather appeared to use the buck as a beater, waiting for it to disturb something edible when it would fly down and then back on to the buck; this it did at least twi (K Nelson pers. comm. with M Spain, 2014). Unfortunately no one in the group had a camera so details of the event were not recorded in detail.
Bringing together these observations suggests that the association, in particular, of these two species, may be more common than previously acknowledged, where Chorister Robin-Chats
Bushbuck as well as use them as "beaters". Indeed, the manner in which the Bushbuck appears comfortable with the Chorister Robin Chat visitor may even suggest that resident animals may have an
"understanding", or possibly the recognition of "cleaning stations animals.
- - -
Acknowledgements
Terry Oatley is thanked for comments on the article and
that he has made no subsequent observations, since those we report here, of Chorister Robin-Chats and mammals interacting
for much of this time he has lived outside the range of the Chorister Robin-Chat.
- ISSN 2219-0341 - near Pietermaritzburg, Mike Spain was conducting a bird walk and
Chat perched on its The bird did not the buck as a beater, waiting for it to disturb something edible when it would fly it did at least twice Unfortunately no one in the group had a camera so details of the event were not recorded in
Bringing together these observations suggests that the association, be more common than Chats glean from the manner in comfortable with the Chorister Robin- Chat visitor may even suggest that resident animals may have an
cleaning stations" for
Terry Oatley is thanked for comments on the article and for noting no subsequent observations, since those we report interacting. However, time he has lived outside the range of the Chorister
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